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County engineer gives monthly roads update; 40th/49th work, 66th Street bridge reconstruction and $100M+ pipeline highlighted
Summary
Stephen Cooney told commissioners the county awarded about $62 million in road construction in the past 30 days, reported progress on the Southwest 40th/49th design‑build (curb/gutter and asphalt nearing completion), and outlined coordination with DOT on the 66th Street bridge closure and replacement. Commissioners asked for interlocal coordination and a plan to mitigate peak‑hour queuing on nearby 43rd Street.
County Engineer Stephen Cooney presented the first monthly roads snapshot for commissioners on Nov. 18, detailing active design and construction workload and steps to relieve congestion in key corridors.
Cooney said the county awarded about $62 million in road projects in the last 30 days and has exceeded $100 million in construction awards over the past year, with another $30–$50 million queued pending right‑of‑way work. The Southwest 40th/49th corridor (design‑build) is approaching milestone work: curb and gutter are roughly 70% complete and asphalt near 50% in places, with signal power recently installed and activation targeted within days. He reported coordination with DOT to close and replace the 66th Street bridge (a planned upgrade to a four‑lane structure) within about three months, with pile driving and preliminary work already underway.
Commissioners discussed stacking lane length and turn‑lane extensions at the 43rd/200/49th area and asked staff to coordinate with the city and the Transportation Planning Organization to add turn‑lane capacity before the 49th connection is fully opened. Cooney said the county and city are drafting an interlocal agreement for property swaps and turn‑lane work at 27th Avenue and 43rd and will pursue design work to expedite turn‑lane extensions in coordination with procurement requirements.
Next steps: Staff committed to refine the monthly snapshot and to return with clearer timelines; commissioners emphasized public messaging about closures and detours before work begins in earnest.
